Obscure Definition

ŏb-skyo͝or, əb-

obscured, obscures, obscurest, obscuring, obscurer

adjective

obscurest, obscurer

Lacking light; dim; dark; murky.

The obscure night.

Webster's New World

So faintly perceptible as to lack clear delineation; indistinct.

An obscure figure in the fog.

American Heritage

Not easily perceived.

Webster's New World

Not well-known; not famous.

An obscure scientist.

Webster's New World

Indistinctly heard; faint.

American Heritage

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

verb

obscured, obscures, obscuring

To make obscure.

Webster's New World

To make difficult to discern mentally or understand.

The meaning of the text was obscured by its difficult language.

American Heritage

To make (a vowel) obscure.

Webster's New World

To diminish the stature of; overshadow or detract from.

American Heritage

To hide, put out of sight etc.

Wiktionary

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

noun

Something obscure or unknown.

American Heritage

Obscurity.

Webster's New World

Synonyms:

Other Word Forms of Obscure

Adjective

Base Form:

obscure

Comparative:

obscurer

Superlative:

obscurest

Origin of Obscure

From French obscur, from Latin obscÅ«rus (“dark, dusky, indistinct"), possibly, from ob (“over") + -scurus (“covered"), from root scu (“cover"), seen also in scutum (“a shield"); see scutum, sky.

From Wiktionary
Middle English from Old French obscur from Latin obscūrus (s)keu- in Indo-European roots

From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition